Ask yourself:

	Can I be objective about myself?
	Am I motivated to change?
	Do I really want to deal effectively with a wide range of people?
	Am I willing to ask myself (and others) tough questions about myself?
	Will I honestly and thoroughly assess my problem areas?
	Will I keep track of my change and progress?
	Will I try to help others in their development?
	Am I ready to get some coaching?
	Do I understand and appreciate the importance?
	Will I put in the required effort?
	Do I see the simplicity versus the complexity required?
	Will I keep at it, even when stifled?

The answer should be "yes" to all of the above.

Also ask yourself what you really want to work with a coach for. Here are some examples of entries from the trigger lists of some pretty high-powered business leaders. Even if you aren't one yet,  which ones would be useful for your own situation?

	Improve my personal and professional presence.
	Be aware of my physical bearing, posture, and comportment. Do what it takes mentally, physically, and emotionally to communicate self-confidence, not self-consciousness?
	Deal effectively with difficult people. Control my attitudes and perspective on things. Don't let others control my perspective.
	And don't be lazy or forget to manage my attitudes, either. Be more generous towards others' actions; be less judgmental. Think, "If I were in their shoes, I might act the exact same way."
	Handle business social gatherings well. Take charge and initiate conversations with strangers before I'm invited to, before the the ice is broken, or before I feel comfortable. Just do it, forget my discomfort, and focus on learning what I can at this gathering and making others feel comfortable.
	Be more personable versus just seeking results at any cost. Ask others about themselves, their interests, successes, setbacks, dreams. Listen well and learn from their experiences. Share my own as well so we develop an affinity and rapport through the discovery of "common ground."
	Stay "on " even when I don 't feel it. Stop frowning when listen­ing to others (it makes me appear suspicious or at least scared). Maintain an affable expression even when I don't feel it.
	Communicate effectively but interestingly. Insert good humor into serious conversations to improve communication, develop rapport, reduce others' tension, and relax my own stressful feelings. Tell useful stories, anecdotes, and illustrations to make sure my communication is clear and interesting.
	Lead; don 't just manage or boss people. Do all I can to maintain the self-esteem of people around me. Ask opinions of others so they feel valued and needed.
	A variety of targets set by leaders include: Understanding politics and managing upwards. Learning to stop fighting the battle after the war is over. Developing more self-confidence to step out of your comfort zone. Learning to do the right thing in the right way versus the right thing in the wrong way. Cultivating more executive maturity. Learning how to establish a comfortable presence that attracts followers.

  For what research confirms employees would tell bosses - if asked, send an email to bs@futurevisions.org with "MWS research on bosses" in the subject and nothing in the body